If you are looking for an awesome resource for organic, non-treated,
GMO-free heirloom seeds look no further than
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This company has been around for 11 years and what's amazing is the vision of the owner, Jere
Gettle. He is a 28 year old young man who sees the need in preserving our world's diversity in foods. Over the course of 11 years he has grown the number of rare seeds his company is helping to preserve to a very impressive amount. I have also ordered seeds from
Fedco Seeds and
Seed Savers Exchange this year, but I am very excited about the seeds coming from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They carry many varieties I have never ever seen before (and I check out heirloom seeds all the time).
You may ask yourself why you should consider buying heirloom seeds. After all....seeds at the rack in
Walmart are a lot cheaper. Yes, that may be true, but actually when you stop to think... You can save heirloom seeds from year to year, and your only investment is your initial purchase. Which seed is more cost effective? The heirloom seed of course. Plus you get the honor of preserving our diverse food heritage. The cheap seed racks at
Walmart really only offer the same old seeds that
Mansanto wants you to buy. They don't really want you to know how delicious an heirloom tomato is. Or how flavorful an heirloom bean may taste. If you know this, you might demand that farmers start growing these crops and sell these in the grocery store instead of all the bland veggies that taste like cardboard.
Another reason to grow heirloom crops is for the community it creates. Farmers used to pass their seeds down to the next generation. They would also share with neighbors. Farmers were quite proud of the great qualities they bred into their seeds by careful seed selection year after year. Many communities proudly served their heirloom goods to visitors, and each region was known by the crops they
propagated.
Hybrid seeds can only be grown once. The seeds are a result of the cross pollination of two different parent crops. Generally, the off-spring seeds will not run true to type but will rather have traits that are more dominant of one of the parents. Heirloom seeds do not do this. You will get the same off-spring each year. But even more amazing is the fact that careful seed saving year after year can get you a seed that has characteristics you are looking for. For instance if you want a huge tomato....then save the seeds each year from the very biggest tomatoes and after a few seasons your tomatoes will be bigger. If you want an earlier harvest, then save the seeds from the earliest ripening fruit and after a few years your plants will be producing crops a little earlier. Isn't that amazing that God gave us the ability to adapt his seeds by careful gardening without gene altering science?
Why would you want to avoid Genetically Modified Seeds? Well, the only test done in the US for the FDA to make the claim that gene altered food is safe was done by the very company who wants to sell these gene altered seeds and the chemicals that must get sprayed on them for them to work, Monsanto. All other independent companies research has deemed these foods unsafe to eat. Why would the FDA allow this company to sell these seeds then? It's called $$$$$$. The very heads making the legislation in the EPA, FDA, and USDA come from (
drumroll please.......) Monsanto.
Mansanto and the gov. regulating agencies have had quite the revolving door. Now isn't that a interesting fact?
OK, enough of the rant here. What I really want you to know is that God gave us the ability to enjoy diverse, nutrient dense food through growing and eating heirloom foods and saving our own seeds.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a great place to start.
P.S. Jere was a
homeschooler and started this business as a teenager! Gotta love that!
We just harvested our first fresh cabbage for coleslaw. It's fourth of July and we are going to a picnic. I can't think of a nicer way to celebrate than eating fresh coleslaw. I usually only use recipes as guides and I rarely measure so I will tell you how I make my most requested recipe. I use about 1 cup of miracle whip (mayonnaise works too, but you have to up the amounts of vinegar and sugar), 3/4 - 1 cup of milk, 1 T of vinegar, 2 T sugar (or to taste...I like it a little more sweet), 1 pound of shredded cabbage with a little grated carrot for color. When you use fresh cabbage for coleslaw, you may not need to add so much milk because the fresh cabbage has more juice in it. If you have a few hours before you serve, then add less milk initially and add more if you need it later. This variety is the Early Jersey Wakefield variety. I love growing this cabbage in the spring. I plan to grow the Brunswick and another variety for fall. I'd better get those seeds started!
